Receptacle for sputum.



' W. L. GERARD, REGEPTAGLE FOR SP UTUM. APPLICATION FILED rmm, 1910.

975,854. Patented-M1145, 1910.

ATTORNEYS rm: NORRIS PETERS cm, wAsnmarou, n. c.

anion.

REGEPTAGLE FOR SPUTUIVL Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 15, 1910.

Application filed February 1, 1910. Serial No. 541,287.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILLIAM L. GERARD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bellingham, in the county of lVhatcom and State of Washington, have invented a new and Improved Receptacle for Sputum, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The purpose of this invention is to provide-a simple, novel receptacle for sputum that is expectorated by an invalid who may be confined to bed; the device in brief embodying a supporting frame, a removable receptacle hung in the frame, sheets of paper pendent in the frame and receptacle at sides thereof, means whereby paper from a roll may be drawn into position for covering soiled sheets, by the invalid, or a nurse who may remove the soiled paper and receptacle from time to time, and cleanse the latter for replacement in the frame, thus adapting the device for renewed service and rendering it sightly and sanitary.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described, and defined in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a side elevational view of the device, seen in direction of the arrow in Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view, taken substantially on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional plan View, sub stantially on the line 33 in Fig. l; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a receptacle, shown detached and broken away, to disclose interior details of construction.

In the drawings, 5 indicates a preferably rectangular frame of wood or other suitable material, consisting of four vertical posts 5 that are spaced apart by cross bars 5 four of said cross bars being located at the upper ends of the posts 5 four of them near the lower ends thereof, and four of the same at a suitable point above the lower cross bars. The relative position of the four intermediate cross bars 5 is such, that they will be located about opposite the head of a person reclining on a couch or bed, when the frame is placed thereat. A rectangular receptacle 6, that may be formed of stiff waterproof paper, is provided, having such dimensions as will permit it to hang within the frame 5, in loose contact therewith. To this end, small perforations a are formed in the side walls of the receptacle 6 near their upper edges and corners, for engagement with small pins a that project from the inner sides of the intermediate cross bars 5 of the supporting frame 5. In the receptacle 6, near its bottom wall 6, a rectangular hoop Z) of wire or thin sheet metal is secured, which serves to distend the sack or receptacle at its bottom, and thus adapt it to preserve a rectangular form.

Two sheets of paper 7 of a width to hang loosely in the frame 5 are hung on the inner sides thereof, by engaging their upper ends with pins 0 or the like, that project from the inner sides of the upper cross bars 5', as shown for one sheet in Fig. 2, and as therein indicated these paper sheets extend down in the sack or receptacle 6 to a pointnear its bottom. A roll of paper 8 of a kind similar to the paper sheets 7, is mounted upon a shaft 9, that is supported rotatably as at d on two upper cross bars of the frame, and is positioned so that it may have its free outer end drawn down at the remaining sides of the frame within the same, as appears at 8 in Fig. 2. The shaft 9 is extended at one end and receives a crank handle 9, which afiords means for the manual rotation thereof, and when the paper composing the roll 8 is wound upon the shaft, a cord 10 is wrapped thereon with said paper, thus locating thecord between successive layers of the paper. On the inner side of the paper composing the roll 8, thin strips 6, of wood or stiff paste-board are secured at proper intervals, said strips giving suflicient weight to the pendent portion 8 of the paper roll to cause it to hang pelrlpendicular when unwrapped from said ro On an upper cross bar of the frame 5, that is parallel with the shaft 9, two upright pins are placed, which are spaced apart a distance which will permit the cord 10 to be drawn between them as it is extended from the lower side of the paper roll 8. It is to be understood that the end portion of the cord 10 is located on the side of the frame 5, which is adjacent to the couch or bed whereon the patient lies, so that the occupant of the latter may take hold of the end portion of said cord and by drawing upon it unwrap the cord, and at the same time unwrap a corresponding portion 8 of the paper roll 8, that descends into the sack or receptacle 6.

The spaces between the transverse strips 6 may equal the depth of the sack or receptacle 6, and at equal distances apart on the cord 10, small projections i may be formed or secured, that will take a slight pull by the patient to effect the passage of said projection between the pins 9.

The patient as occasion may require, can with ease expectorate within the frame 5 upon the pendent paper 8 and to prevent the bottom of the sack 6 from becoming soiled with the sputum, there is a layer of the paper from the roll 8, disposed fiat upon the bottom 6* within the sack. It will be seen that the sheets of paper 7 which may become soiled from time to time may be replaced with clean paper sheets of the same kind, by an attendant. If the expectoration on the pendent sheet S quickly renders it repulsive, the patient may by pulling upon the cord 10 lower a clean sheet from the roll 8, and at the same time deposit the soiled sheet on the bottom of the sack or receptacle 6, the projections on the cord 10 indicating when a proper length of paper has been unwrapped.

It will be seen that by the construction and arrangement of details of the improvement, the patient who is bedfast and may have to expectorate frequently, can render the receptacle therefor sightly, and dispense with constant attendance of a nurse or attendant; it is necessary, however, for sanitary reasons, that the attendant remove the receptacle from the frame at times when there is an accumulation of soiled paper in the same, and burn the latter, after which the receptacle may be replaced and by proper adjustment of the pendent paper sheets 8 render the device clean and in condition for renewed service.

Having described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a frame, of a detachable receptacle pendent in the frame, and paper sheets hung on the inside of the frame at the top thereof and extending downward into the receptacle for receiving sputum.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a frame, of a rectangular detachable receptacle pendent in the frame, a paper roll rotatable on the frame, and means for unwrapping pendent portions of paper from said roll.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with an upright rectangular frame, paper sheets hung within the frame, a removable rectangular receptacle pendent within the frame into which the paper sheets hang, a paper roll rotatably mounted on the frame having a free end portion extended down into the receptacle, and means for the manual rotation of the paper roll.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a frame, and a receptacle hung in the frame, of a shaft having a crank handle on one end thereof. and rotatable on the upper end of the frame, a paper roll on the shaft, a cord wrapped on the shaft between the turns of the paper roll, weight strips on the paper roll disposed at intervals on one side thereof, and means to indicate the extent of cord and paper unwrapped from the roll when said cord is pulled upon at its free end.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with a rectangular skeleton frame, of a rectangular receptacle hung in said frame below the top thereof, paper sheets pendent from the upper part of said frame and extending downward into the receptacle at two opposite sides thereof, and a paper roll mounted to turn on the upper part of the frame and having an end portion adapted to extend over the bottom and one of the other sides of the said receptacle.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination with an upright rectangular frame, of a detachable rectangular receptacle hung in the frame near its center of height, and a rectangular spreading ring at the bottom within the receptacle.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

I WILLIAM L. GERARD.

Witnesses WVILLIAM DEVINE, WV. AARVIN MARTIN. 

